Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-07
KENTUCKY PIONEERS.
AN incident iu the Life of the First
Settlers of the Dark and Bloody
Ground.

seize q prisoner or take a scalp when
ever an incautious white should give
the opportunity. Frequent combatS
(and each combat ended, as a rule, IN
the death of one or more of those en-
gaged) had habituated the men to
danger. 1t was later that they felt
the danger Of their wives and children.
Late on Sunday afternoon in July,
| l1l6, three young girls yentured from
the enclosure of Boonesborough to
amuse themselves with a canoe upon
the river that flowed by the fort.
tnsensibly they drifted with the
lazy current, and before they were
aware of their danger were seized by
Ave warriors. Their resistance was
useless, though they welded the paddles
with desperation. Their canoe was
drawn ashore, and they were hurried
off in rapid retreat toward the Shawnee
towns in Ohio. Their screams were
heard at the fort, and the cause we'll
guessed. Two of the girls were Betsey
and Frances, daughters of Colonel
Richard Galloway, the other was
Jemima, daughter OF Boone. The
| fathers were absent, but soon returned
to hear the evil news and arrange the
pursuit. Galloway assembled
mounted party, and was away through
the woods to head off the Indians, if
possible. before they might reach and
cross the Ohio. or before the
fatigue of their rapid march should
| SO overcome the poor girls rs to cause
their captors to tomahaWk them, and
so disencumber their hi9ht Boone
started directly on the trail through
the thickets and canebrakrs. His rule
was never to ride if he could possibly
walk. All his Journeys and hunts,
escapes and pursuits, were on foot.
His little party numbered eight, and
the anxiety OF Il fathers heart quick
ened its leader. and found a ready re-
Spouse in the breast of three young
men, The lovers Of the girls.
Betsy Galloway the Oldest OF the
| girls, marked the trail. rs the Indians
| hurried them along. BY breaking twigS
and bending bushes. and when threat
ened with the tomahawk if she persist
| ed, tore small bits from her dress,
and dropped them TO guide the pur-
suers. When the ground was soft
| enough to receive an impression, they
would press II Footprint The flight
| was in the best Indian method; the
| Indians marched some yards apart
| through the bushes and cane, com
| pelling their captiveS to do the same
When a creek was crossed they Waded
in its water to distant point, where
| the march would be resumed. By all
the caution and skill of their training
the Indians endeavored TO obscure the
trail and perpleX the pursuers.
| rTba y, i.rbt f., f,f tho first II Cto,,>nJ
| the pursuit of Boone before he had
gone far; but he had fixed the direction
| the Indians were taking, and ut early
dawn was following them The chase
was continued with all the speed that
could be made for thirty miles. Again
darkness compelled halt, and again
at crack of day on Tuesday the pur-
suit was renewed. 1t was not long be-
| fore a light film of smoke that rose in
the distance showed where the Indians
were cooking a breakfast of buffalo
meat The pursuers cautiously APP
preached, fearing lest the Indians
might slay their captives and escape
Colonel John Floyd who was one of
the party (himself afterward killed BY
Indians), thus described the attack and
the rescue, in a letter written the next
sunday 10 illb Ol TlllCaStlc,
Colonel William Preston
Our study had been how to get the
prisoners without giving the Indians
time to murder them after they dis
covered us. -Four of us fired and all
rushed on them; by which they were
prevented from carrying anything
away except one shotgun without any
ammunition. Colonel Boone and my
self had each a pretty fair shot as they
began to move Off 7 am well con-
vinced | shot one through the body.
The one he shot dropped his gun;
mine had none The place was
covered with thick cane, and being so
much elated on recovering the three
poor little broken-hearted girls, we
were prevented from making any
further search. We sent the Indians
off almost naked, some without their
moccasins, ard none of them with SO
much as knife OF tomahaWk. After
the girls came to themselves sufficient
ly to speak, they told us there were
five Indians four Shawanese and one
Cherokee; they could speak good En-
glish, and said they should 90 to the
Shawanese towns. The war-club we
got was like those | have seen of that
nation, and several words of their
! language, which the girls retained,
| were known to be Shawanese."
The. return with the rescued girls
was one of great rejoicing. TO crown
tleir satisfaction, the young lovers had
proved their prowess, and under the
eye of the greatest of all Woodsmen
bad shown their skill and courage.
They bad fairly won the girls they
loved. Two weeks later a general
summons went throughout the little
settlements to attend the first wedding
ever solemn;zed on Kentucky soil
Samuel Henderson and Betsey Gala
way were married in the presence of
an approving company that celebrated
the event with dancing and feasting.
The formal license from the county
court was not waited for, as the court
house of Fincastle, of which county
Kentucy was part, was a distant more
than six hundred miles. The ceremony
consisted of the contract with witnesses,
and religious vows administered by